A Family
by Phantom Mime
Summary: Sasuke is walking home one night when he finds a sick child. From the bottom of his heart, he digs up the kindness to take the child home and tend to the child's illness. But the young boy is in Konoha for a reason...
1. Jinpachiro

Author's note: Okay, this is the first fan fiction that I have written in what feels like eternity. The story takes place after Sasuke's killed Itachi and has returned to Konoha. It will be longer than one chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I only own my fantasies of them.

A Family

It was a chilly night when Sasuke Uchiha was walking home alone. The cold air bit at his nose and his breaths came out in visible huffs. He had a dark blue scarf wrapped around his neck that he had received for his birthday some months ago. The weather had been changing from warm to colder as winter approached fast. Sasuke rubbed his hands together as he walked to keep his hands warm.

The Uchiha District was a lonely place at night and Sasuke hated it. Of course he lived in it, but every day he still missed the liveliness that had once existed in the empty houses before Itachi had killed everyone. Sasuke thought back to Itachi. He used to be a good brother, but had betrayed the family. Now he was finally dead. It pleased Sasuke to know that he had been the one to take his brother's life, but at the same time it haunted his heart. He shrugged off the melancholy feeling that had crept up on him and directed his thoughts to his other goal.

Sasuke acknowledged the area he was in. It was only a small distance from his home now. Sasuke kept walking as his eyes came to rest on a house that's door was wide open. He felt a pang of annoyance and anger while imagining what someone would be doing in one of the deserted houses. Sasuke turned off the path and entered the house. In the dust there were small footprints. He followed them silently into a bedroom of the old house. By the door was a stick with a cloth holding something tied to it. In the middle of the bedroom, someone lay curled in the sheets, shivering. Sasuke crept closer and pulled the sheets away slightly to look at the sleeping figure.

With the pillow clutched tightly in his small fists, a boy lay sleeping. He had dark hair that was caked in dirt and very unkempt. The child appeared and smelled as if he hadn't bathed in days. Dirt and scratches was all over him and his clothes were ripped. Sasuke exhaled and murmured a curse under his breath as he contemplated what to do.

"…Daddy…" The boy mumbled quietly and clutched the pillow closer to him. Sasuke cursed again and felt the boy's forehead. It was burning with fever.

"Just my luck," Sasuke gritted his teeth as he lifted the boy with the sheet and the pillow. Upon exiting the room, he gathered the kid's things. Sasuke took him to his house. He laid the sleeping boy in an empty bed. Sasuke already had the heat on to keep his house warm for his return.

Sasuke put a damp cloth and the boy's forehead and piled two blankets on him. Next he checked the clock. The time read eight. He picked up his phone and dialed the only free medical service he could get: Sakura.

"Hello?" The other line answered.

"Sakura, its Sasuke." Sasuke waited for her response. As expected, it was enthusiastic and excited.

"Oh! Hey! What do you need?" Sakura responded to him.

"Could you get over here? I need you-" Sasuke started to say, and Sakura cut him off.

"I'll be there soon, Sasuke-kun!" And with a click, the phone went off. Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh and put the phone down. Not long later, two quick knocks sounded from his front door. He opened it and the pink-haired kunoichi stood in front of him, with a bright smile on her face.

"Come in, Sakura. There's something I need you to look at upstairs." He turned and led her into the boy's room. "I found him recently."

A small noise escaped her throat as she looked the sick kid over. "Well, he's sick." She finally announced. Sasuke stared at the back of Sakura's head trying to decide if she thought he was an idiot. "If you let him sleep for a while, and feed him when he wakes up," Sakura turned around to look Sasuke in the eyes. "Then, he should get well." Sakura's eyes went a little downcast with a small giggle and then her eyes met his again with smile. "Well, its getting a little late, so…I'll go home now." Sasuke walked her back to the front of the house. "Give him an aspirin when he wakes up and a bowl of soup. By the way, a bath and a change of clothes could only help the kid." She opened the door and stepped out. "Bye!" With that, she was gone.

Sasuke shut his eyes and let out a sigh. '_She's so loud…' _He thought to himself as he walked into his kitchen to check his cabinets for soup. Sasuke searched in vain. Sasuke contemplated whether or not to make a homemade soup, but decided against it. The kid could eat cereal or oatmeal.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that the boy woke up. Constantly through the night, Sasuke had been awoken by the child's cries for his daddy or some candy. He was incredibly irritable from lack of sleep. During the morning, Sasuke had stopped by a grocery store to pick up some cans of Chicken Noodle.

Sasuke had been sitting in his living room, partaking in his favorite pastime, brooding, when he heard movements coming from the room the that the boy had slept in. Sasuke stood up and headed in there. The boy was half sitting up and lying on his bed, wide awake. He looked nauseas and confused. Then, the boy's eyes came to rest on Sasuke. He opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asked and took a seat in a chair in the room.

"Not very good. My head hurts and I feel like I'm gonna throw up." The boy pouted a little as he talked.

"Can you eat?" Sasuke said, remembering Sakura's words. The boy gave an unsure nod and Sasuke left to bring the boy soup. When he returned, the boy hadn't moved.

"How did I get here?" The little boy asked when the bowl was placed in front of him.

"I found you. Eat." Sasuke put a spoon into the little boy's grip. He sat back and watched the child eat slowly. After three bites, he looked as if he might vomit, so Sasuke took the bowl from him. "You don't have to eat it all."

"But, I don't want to waste it!" The boy exclaimed. "Won't I get in trouble?"

Sasuke let out a small chuckle and answered, "No. There's more where this came from. Besides, if you want anymore, it'll be in the fridge." The boy gulped and nodded. Sasuke put the remains in the fridge. When he got back in the room, the boy was fast asleep. While the boy slept, Sasuke busied himself around the house, doing different menial tasks. When he heard noises coming from the room again, Sasuke went back in there.

"Hey, kid. What's your name?" Sasuke asked upon entering the room.

"Jinpachiro. Who're you?" The boy yawned while answering, showing his baby teeth.

"Sasuke." The boy nodded and scooted further underneath the sheets and blankets on the bed. "Are you cold?" Sasuke asked. Jinpachiro nodded and pulled the blankets closer. Sasuke turned to fix Jinpachiro's cold problem, when Jinpachiro asked something.

"Why'd you take me in?" His small weak voice was directed at Sasuke. Sasuke turned around and looked at the child. He stood there and thought about why the child asked that for a moment. Was it because he sensed the rarity of Sasuke's action?

"Hn. You would've died." Sasuke turned back around and walked out to change the thermostat. When he got back in the room, Jinpachiro was waiting with another question.

"I thought ninjas were mean." He asked not long after Sasuke had entered through the door. Sasuke stared at the innocent child's face.

"No. Some aren't." Sasuke answered, thinking of certain ninjas that had never let him down through the years. Then, another thought crossed Sasuke's mind and he asked, "Kid, where's your parents?"

Jinpachiro drew in a breath and scooted further underneath his blankets. "Dead." He answered in a small voice. Sasuke nodded and took a seat in the chair. "My uncle killed them."

"Ah."

"He was from this village, so I came here." Jinpachiro added.

"How old are you?" Sasuke asked finally.

"I'm four." Jinpachiro answered proudly. "I turned four in…" He stopped and thought, then finished. "March!"

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from a town not that far from here. I, uh, can't remember the name." Jinpachiro admitted.

"So you came to Konoha all by yourself." Sasuke drew to that conclusion from the state the child was in. Jinpachiro nodded, still proud. "Hn." Jinpachiro yawned and turned onto his side.

"I still don't feel very good." He mumbled.

"You should sleep." Sasuke stood up to leave, but stopped.

"Um, Mister Sasuke?" Sasuke looked at Jinpachiro. "Can you tell me a ninja story?" He was staring at Sasuke with his black eyes. For a moment, Sasuke could have sworn he had seen those eyes somewhere before, but shook it off.

"Yeah." He answered sitting back down. "What do you want to hear?" Jinpachiro and a smirk rested on his face as he decided what story he should tell. Sasuke might not have enjoyed conversing with people, but loved talking about himself.

"Well…" Sasuke started to tell about his chuunin exam experiences in the Forest of Death, but it wasn't long before Jinpachiro was asleep with a smile on his face.

When Jinpachiro awoke he was feeling a lot better. He sat up and climbed out of the bed. "I gotta find the bathroom." He said, walking out of the room. He still felt incredibly dizzy and nauseous, but not to the point of vomiting. He opened a couple of doors, until he found his destination.

Sasuke heard what was happening in that part of the house and walked toward where Jinpachiro was at. He nodded upon seeing the bathroom door shut and he was thankful the child was well behaved. When Jinpachiro walked out, he looked up at Sasuke.

"Good Morning." He walked back into his room and Sasuke followed. "Can you finish your story? I don't remember the end of it." Sasuke smirked and sat down.

"Yeah, that's because you were asleep before I could tell you the part where I rescued everyone from the giant snake and legendary sannin." Jinpachiro's eyes went wide at the mention at Sasuke's story.

"Well, tell me! I'm awake now! I wanna hear it!" He bounced with excitement on his bed. Sasuke and chuckled and recounted his tale, coloring up bits and parts of it. When he finished, Jinpachiro was still awake and extremely enthused.

"I wanna be a ninja!" He exclaimed. "Hey, did you finally kill snakeman? What about your friend? What happened afterwards? Tell me more!" He rushed all of his words together. Jinpachiro was brimming with excitement.

"Calm down. You'll probably hear it before you leave." Sasuke chuckled, proud to get such a response. It was a good feeling.

"Oh." Jinpachiro's mood suddenly changed. "Yeah, I should probably be leaving now." He was a little more sullen.

"Not until your fever is gone and you get a bath. You reek." Sasuke announced. Jinpachiro's eyes went wide at the word bath. Then, he pouted.

"I don't like baths. I don't need one, and I don't wanna waste your water." Jinpachiro mumbled.

"Hn. Well, I can't help that. In fact, I think now would be a good time for that bath." Sasuke stood and Jinpachiro retreated underneath his blankets. When Sasuke tried to pull the blankets off of him, Jinpachiro yelled, "No!" and continued fighting Sasuke's attempts. Sasuke finally lifted the entire bundle: blankets and all. Jinpachiro squealed and continued struggling, but he was now losing. Sasuke entered the bathroom and shook the bundle until Jinpachiro fell to the floor. Quickly, the boy tried to stand and dart out, but Sasuke was quicker. He dropped the bundle of blankets and snatched Jinpachiro off his feet. Jinpachiro's laughter echoed off the walls as Sasuke took off Jinpachiro's shirt and pants. Sasuke finally got the child undressed and sitting in the tub.

"Sit still." Sasuke ordered. The two's small struggle had left Sasuke victorious and a small smile was on his face. Sasuke turned the knob for hot water. When the water was hot, he added some cold to keep it warm. Slowly the tub filled with the water, and already the water was a brown, murky color from the dirt on the boy's body. Jinpachiro stared at the water coming out of the spout and then looked at Sasuke.

"Its warm." He said. Sasuke nodded and Jinpachiro continued. "Whenever I got a bath, it was always after Mom. The water was always cold." Sasuke let out a "Hn" and continued scrubbing Jinpachiro. He scrubbed a long time before most of the dirt finally came off. He also washed Jinpachiro's hair. When Jinpachiro was finally clean, Sasuke got him some clean Uchiha clothes from the attic.

"You can wear these while I'm washing your clothes. Don't leave with those on." Sasuke told him while handing Jinpachiro the folded outfit. Jinpachiro nodded. Sasuke stepped back and looked at the child when he was dressed. Jinpachiro had long black hair that fell to the his shoulder blades and bangs similar to Sasuke, but it was a mess. He had hair that suck up in the back, too. Jinpachiro's skin was pale. Underneath all the dirt, it had been impossible to tell. Sasuke grabbed a comb and motioned Jinpachiro to stand in front of him, while Sasuke handled Jinpachiro's hair. When he was finished combing out all the tangles, he tied it back into a low ponytail. Jinpachiro turned around and Sasuke looked him over.

"Now you look healthy." Sasuke announced. Sasuke was thinking something different though. The small boy held a resemblance to Itachi. While wearing the Uchiha clothes, it was impossible to tell the boy wasn't an Uchiha. The main difference though, was the innocence the boy seemed to radiate off of him.

"Okay, so do these clothes make me look like a ninja?" Jinpachiro asked and Sasuke nodded. This made Jinpachiro beam with happiness. He bounced around Sasuke a bit, and Sasuke started wondering if the boy was completely better. When Jinpachiro went in a fit of coughing, Sasuke decided that the boy should probably stay another night.

"Can you teach me how to throw a kunai?" Jinpachiro asked, his eyes pleading. Sasuke nodded and pointed outside. "Okay!" Jinpachiro ran outside and Sasuke followed. Sasuke reached into his pack and pulled out a kunai for the boy to throw. Jinpachiro shook his head and pulled one out of his pocket. "This one's mine. I wanna learn how to throw this one. It was my father's."

"Did you find your things then?" Sasuke asked and Jinpachiro nodded. Jinpachiro's lessons began. The boy was a great listener and he learned quickly. Sasuke enjoyed teaching him. Whenever Jinpachiro had put many holes in the tree and he got tired, they took a break.

"So tell me, Jinpachiro. Was your father a ninja?" Sasuke asked fixing some sweet tea for the two to drink. Both of them were sweaty from the change in temperature from the night before into the afternoon. Jinpachiro nodded and helped himself to some tomatoes that had been waiting to be eaten.

"Yup! He was a great ninja! Nobody could beat him!" Jinpachiro bragged while spitting red tomato juice on the table. "Nobody but my uncle." He swallowed.

"Why did your uncle kill him?" Sasuke asked pouring the tea into two separate cups. He then dropped two ice cubes in each. "If its not sweet enough add sugar."

"I dunno why he killed my father. I was hoping to find out here." Jinpachiro explained while taking the cold glass from Sasuke's hand. He took a big refreshing gulp of tea and sighed afterwards. "This stuff is good." Sasuke nodded and sat down at the table across from him. He started to question Jinpachiro further, but Jinpachiro started talking before Sasuke could.

"Could you tell me more ninja stories?" He asked eagerly. "I really wanna hear them. Are you a really good ninja?" Jinpachiro spread his arms wide as if to emphasize "really good".

Sasuke chuckled and answered, "Hell yeah, I'm a really good ninja. Have I told you about the time I killed Orochimaru?" Jinpachiro shook his head real fast and Sasuke continued. "Well…"

The two sat at the table for two hours, one listening patiently and the other bragging. Jinpachiro had many questions for Sasuke, but Sasuke made Jinpachiro hold them. "Do you want to go back out and learn some more?" Jinpachiro nodded and ran back outside, even more eager then before, because he had a bit more of an idea of what a great ninja that was personally training him. They trained until nightfall. Sasuke finally made the two quit and ushered Jinpachiro inside for a bath and some supper. The two ate donburi, which Sasuke had fixed, and talked more about Sasuke's missions. Whenever the meal was finished Sasuke took Jinpachiro and gave him a bath. Afterwards, Sasuke sent him to bed.

"Wait! Can I have another ninja story? To help me sleep?" Jinpachiro asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Might as well. You're leaving tomorrow." Sasuke sat down in the chair and thought about what to tell. "Have I told you about how I avenged my family?" Jinpachiro shook his head and Sasuke began. "Well, have you noticed how lonely this part of town is?" Sasuke asked and Jinpachiro nodded. "It wasn't always like that. In fact, only nine years ago, it was full of the Uchiha family. It-" Sasuke started and Jinpachiro cut him off.

"All of the houses? That's a big family! What happened to them? Why aren't they here?" Jinpachiro asked eagerly.

Sasuke held up a finger and quieted him. "Let me continue. One night, I came home and found them all dead. My older brother had killed them…" And Sasuke relayed the story of his family's death and how he became an avenger.

"He killed your entire family? Just like my uncle killed mine! We're alike! We're alike!" He sat up and started bouncing a bit. Sasuke calmed him down and continued. Next, he briefly shared the stakes Sasuke went to in order to obtain power. Then, he told Jinpachiro about the final battle.

"It was unexpected. At the time, I had been heading toward a town on the border of the Land of Fire, when our paths had crossed. I overheard people talking about him, and I listened. I learned that his whereabouts weren't far, so I headed there instead. I found him. The man who killed my family. Itachi Uchiha." Jinpachiro gasped and Sasuke continued. "I reminded him of my hatred. I told him of how far I had come, just to see his death by my hands." Sasuke shut his eyes from the memory.

"He called me foolish. Then, our fight started. It was the hardest thing in my life, Jinpachiro. At first, he had the upper hand. For most of the battle, heck, he had the upper hand. I had gone second curse form early on. I was too angry. It blinded my fighting. It wasn't until he started to use the magenkyou sharingan that I finally started to do any good. I didn't let him use it on me, of course." Sasuke took a long breath, still being able to remember the fight as if it was yesterday.

"The fight lasted a long while. He threw several kunai, and I blocked them with my sword and continued toward him. He avoided my attack and attempted to put me under a genjutsu. Jinpachiro, let me tell you, from all my training, it is impossible to successfully put me under a genjutsu. I had Itachi fooled. He was close, ready for the attack and I finally had him right where I wanted him. I used Chidori and stuck it right through his heart. Before though, he crammed a sword through my abdomen. The fight ended. He was finally dead, and I was convinced I was too. I collapsed next to his corpse and just laid there, smiling. Honestly, I think I was crying too. All of those thoughts running through my mind, I remembered vowing I would kill him, and back before it all happened. I thought back to Konoha. I thought back to my squad from Konoha. Back to Squad 7. I imagined the dobe's face, and I saw it front of my face. I thought I was hallucinating. Then, I saw Sakura's. She was crying and had green chakra coming from her hands. Then, I passed out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed in Konoha. They came got me. Now, here I am, Jinpachiro." Sasuke finished and looked Jinpachiro in the face. The boy had tears streaming down his round cheeks. Sasuke realized he might have gone a little far with his story.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I thought you could handle it." Sasuke reached to a near end table with tissues on it that he had placed there recently for the sick boy. He grabbed a few and handed them to Jinpachiro. Jinpachiro took them from his hands gratefully and blew his nose. The boy kept sobbing though.

"Hey, its alright. You don't need to cry." Sasuke let his forehead rest in the palm of his hand. "Why would you cry?"

"Because, because, cause," Jinpachiro sobbed and tried to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Itachi Uchiha? Are you sure that was his name?" Jinpachiro asked, meeting Sasuke's black eyes with his own black, puffy, tear filled eyes. He wiped his nose again and put the tissue into Sasuke's hand. Sasuke dropped the offending item onto the floor with hidden disgust and answered Jinpachiro.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure his name was Itachi. He was my brother after all." Sasuke handed Jinpachiro some more tissues.

"And you're Sasuke Uchiha?" Jinpachiro continued and Sasuke nodded. This broke Jinpachiro into more tears. He hiccupped several times as Sasuke sat next to the bed awkwardly, not knowing what to do with a crying child.

"I had no idea!" Jinpachiro mumbled and looked away from Sasuke, still with little crystalline tears streaming down his face. His bottom lip shook and he hiccupped a couple of more times.

"Why? What's wrong?" Sasuke couldn't imagine why that would make the boy cry.

Jinpachiro sniffed before answering. "Well, you see, my father… Oh you're gonna hate me!" And Jinpachiro started wailing again. Sasuke was a little taken back by the boy's outburst and calmed him down.

"Continue." Sasuke ordered with a calm voice. Jinpachiro nodded, appearing ashamed of himself.

"My father was Itachi Uchiha." Jinpachiro shut his eyes and waited for what Sasuke would do. Sasuke stared at Jinpachiro for what Jinpachiro thought was eternity. Sasuke finally shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he spoke to Jinpachiro.

"Continue." He ordered in that same voice that he had used just moments before. "Who was your mother?"

"Her name was Candy. My father and her met one night five years ago. Mom hadn't had business in a while, and she was in debt. She had been standing on her corner when she saw him. He looked incredibly stressed, in her opinion. Just like she always did with "potential" customers, she approached him and started to talk to him sweetly. He welcomed it and they had business. He kept coming back every month and soon she was out of debt." Jinpachiro recited to Sasuke, as if he had heard the story many times. Sasuke's eyes went wide whenever it had occurred to him what occupation Jinpachiro's mother had been. Sasuke's jaw even dropped. It was hard for him to believe any Uchiha, no matter how much they betrayed the family, or how evil could ever stoop as low as that. Then a thought crossed Sasuke's mind.

"So, its possible he might not be your father." Sasuke stated. Jinpachiro looked at Sasuke's face.

"He's my father! He was the only business Mom had! She said that he was too! One day, when he came by, he left a kunai for me! Well," Jinpachiro had been loud, but then his voice dropped. "Mom said he forgot it. You see, he never talked to me, but I'm pretty sure he left it for me." Jinpachiro hiccupped whenever he finished. It wasn't hard to believe that this boy was Itachi's son from the resemblance in the two. Although it was currently hard to compare the two, because Itachi never cried and here the small boy sat with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyes.

Sasuke leaned back in his chair and brought up his left hand and rested it on his eyes. He thought about the situation. '_If this boy is Itachi's son, then that means I'm not the only Uchiha left. If he is and Uchiha, then that means it would be better if he stayed in Konoha and learned the ninja ways. Uh, this is giving me a headache.'_ Sasuke leaned forward again and looked at Jinpachiro. The boy's crying had finally quieted down to small sniffles and hiccups.

"Jinpachiro, how would you like to stay in Konoha with me?" He asked Jinpachiro.

"I can't do that! I came here to kill you!" Jinpachiro announced. "I was gonna do it with my father's kunai! Oh, I'm sorry!" With that, Jinpachiro started up his sobbing again.

Sasuke smirked and responded, "Jinpachiro, you wouldn't have been able to kill me. Besides, I forgive you. Everything's okay now." Sasuke knew in his mind that he wouldn't mind so much if the boy lived with him.

"But…but I…I'm sorry." Jinpachiro muttered apologetically. The child wouldn't look at Sasuke's face. Sasuke could tell the boy was ashamed of himself.

"Its fine. Now, would you stay with me? You can be a ninja. I'll help train you and you can be a great ninja in due time." Sasuke put a hand on Jinpachiro's shoulder. "Besides, I don't have a family Jinpachiro and neither do you. You're an Uchiha. You come from the best blood line in this village. This is where the Uchiha belong. Will you stay here?" Sasuke stared Jinpachiro straight in the eyes.

"Do you really want me?" Jinpachiro sniffed. Sasuke nodded and Jinpachiro smiled through his tears. Then, he leaned forward and gave his uncle a hug. Sasuke patted the boy's back and stood up.

"Now, get to sleep." Sasuke turned off the light and walked out of the room. He walked down the hallway into his own bedroom. He prepared his self for bed and lay in bed for long time before he could sleep. Sasuke kept recounting the past two day's events. Sasuke took in Itachi's son. He finally had somewhat of a family after nine years. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, but Sasuke was happy.

Author's Note: Okay, give it time. Like I said above, the story will be longer and the other characters will show up. Plus, the story will take place in other areas other than Jinpachiro's room. O.o; There will be romance, drama, more four year old angst, and Uchiha humor. At least, what I can call humor.

I tried to keep Sasuke in character. I'm sorry if he seemed a little off to you. This is after he's matured somewhat and in the future. He's learned a couple of lessons in life.

Please review. I can handle flames, but please have some kind of constructive criticism in your review. We all know I need it.

Next Time on "A Family.": Jinpachiro has nightmares at night from Sasuke's story of Itachi and he desperately misses his best friend. What will they do?


	2. Additions

Additions:

Okay, guys. Here's my next chapter. Kudos to the people who reviewed me! You guys are the reason I finished this! Thanks. Now, read ahead.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_A dark figure rose out from the shadows. The silhouette had red eyes and very defined lines carved underneath his eyes. Jinpachiro grabbed his sheets and pulled them around him as the apparition in front of him morphed into a giant weasel with Sharingan eyes and sharp teeth. Jinpachiro whimpered as the beast inched its way closer to the small boy. No longer was Jinpachiro in the safe confines of his bed, but now huddled in a small corner desperately trying to escape the monstrosity heading at him. Jinpachiro looked at the giant weasel and it grinned at him. Off of each pointed tooth, blood dripped menacingly to the wooden floorboards. A cackle escaped from the depth of the weasel's throat. It opened its jaws and lunged.  
_

"Wake up, Jinpachiro." Sasuke shook the boy impatiently. Sasuke had been sleeping peacefully, when the boy's cries had disturbed his slumber. Out of all of the offenses you could commit to Sasuke Uchiha, waking him from his sleep was one of the far worst.

"Wah!" Jinpachiro opened his eyes and looked at his uncle. "Uncle Sasuke! Uncle Sasuke, it was awful! A weasel was trying to eat me! A weasel with Sharingan!" The boy was breathless as he relayed his nightmare to his uncle.

"Its fine now. I won't let any weasel with Sharingan in here. I'll kill them if they try." Sasuke awkwardly tried to comfort the child, wondering if that was how Jinpachiro now imagined Itachi.

"But he was huge!" Jinpachiro spread his arms as far as they would go to prove his point. "And he had really pointy teeth!" Jinpachiro brought his hands to his lips and stretched out his mouth to emphasize his story.

"I've already killed one monster, if another weasel comes back for my family, I'll kill it too." Sasuke nodded as he comforted Jinpachiro. Then he yawned.

"Go to sleep, kid." Sasuke patted his head then stood up to leave the room. Jinpachiro jumped out of his bed and stood, looking at his uncle.

"But I'm still scared! Whenever I was scared back at my old home…" He looked down for a moment, then back up at his uncle. "Yuri would protect me. He would sleep next to me, then sing me to sleep, whenever I woke him up. Can I come in there and sleep with you? Please?" Jinpachiro asked. Whenever he said, "Please," he stood up on his toes and pouted.

Sasuke sighed and answered, "Ninjas don't need to sleep with their uncles when they're afraid." He looked down at Jinpachiro and the boy looked downcast. "But, we can make an exception tonight. Come on." Jinpachiro smiled up at Sasuke and followed him into Sasuke's bedroom. They climbed into bed, and within seconds Jinpachiro was fast asleep. Sasuke lay awake and wondered to himself for several minutes: Who's Yuri?

The next morning, as most mornings, Sasuke woke up and prepared himself for the day before the sun rose. It was a habit of Sasuke's and a good one to keep. He fixed tamagoyaki for himself and Jinpachiro. When Jinpachiro came downstairs, the food was waiting for him to eat it.

"Hmm! Uncle Sasuke, did you make this?" Jinpachiro asked taking his first bite of the Japanese omelet.

"Hn."

"You're a good cook!" Jinpachiro announced through chunks of egg in his mouth. Sasuke frowned. Whenever his family was killed, Sasuke was left to take care of himself and over time, cooking had become another one of his many talents.

"Don't spread that around." Sasuke finished his meal and stood up. "I'm going to training. Do you want to come?" Sasuke asked. Jinpachiro nodded vigorously and jumped from his chair.

"Yeah!" He ran around Sasuke and out the door. Sasuke followed and saw the child pulling on his sandals.

"Are you going to finish your breakfast?" Sasuke asked as he kneeled down next to Jinpachiro to pull on his boots.

"I'm not hungry anymore. Let's go!" The boy leapt up and stood next to Sasuke.

"Fine, but we're not running there. We can walk."

The two made their way through Konoha's streets and onto the bridge that had been the meeting place for Squad 7 for what seemed an eternity to Sasuke. On the way over to the bridge, Sasuke had received many stares from the residents of the village. It seemed all eyes were on Jinpachiro. Whenever Jinpachiro caught someone staring, he'd quickly run to the other side of Sasuke and try to hide. Sasuke defended Jinpachiro by glaring at any person who happened to be looking in the direction of the child.

The two didn't have to wait on the bridge for long before Sakura and Sai arrived. The two were bickering about taste in beauty, when Sakura hushed Sai with a fist to his chin.

"Good Morning, Sasuke!" She greeted and smiled. Then two pairs of eyes came to rest on the young boy hiding behind Sasuke's legs. "Is that the boy that you took in a couple of nights ago?" She inquired. Sasuke gave a curt nod.

"I'll introduce everyone when Naruto gets here." Sasuke said as he pushed Jinpachiro out from behind his legs and leaned on the railing. Jinpachiro pouted at having been pushed away from his hiding place and clung to Sasuke's leg furthest away from Sai and Sakura.

The four waited in a semi-awkward silence for thirty minutes before Naruto arrived. When he did, Sasuke started the introductions.

"This is Jinpachiro Uchiha. He's my nephew." Sasuke started and Naruto interrupted.

"You mean, like, Itachi's son? When did he have a son?"

"About four years ago, dobe. Anyway, he came to Konoha looking for me and now he's here." Sasuke finished motioning the child that was still clinging to his right leg.

"Teme, so are you taking care of him now?" Naruto asked and Sasuke nodded.

"Shut up, so I can tell him you are," Sasuke said to Naruto as he scraped Jinpachiro off his leg. "Jinpachiro, this is Naruto, Sakura, and Sai." He said while pointing to each. Naruto, Sakura, and Sai each said their separate greeting while Jinpachiro continued trying to hide behind Sasuke's leg.

"When you were sick I stopped by to take care of you! You weren't awake, so you won't remember me." Sakura leaned forward and smiled at the boy. His cheeks burned a shade of pink and he grasped Sasuke's pant leg.

"He's shy!" Sakura whispered, straightening herself up.

"More like afraid." Sai smiled. "Hag."

Sakura turned on him yelling, "What did you say? You-" Sakura jumped toward his throat and Sai took a step back to avoid it. She followed with a punch at his face and Sai ran off the bridge with Sakura in full pursuit.

"Well, looks like today's sparring has begun without Kakashi-sensei. Is he gonna stay and watch?" Naruto nodded his head, indicating Jinpachiro and the Uchiha nodded. Naruto grinned at the thought of being able to show off his abilities. Sasuke started to walk off the bridge and Naruto followed. When, they reached a clearing in the trees where Sai and Sakura wouldn't disturb the two's combating, Naruto and Sasuke started training.

Naruto dashed toward Sasuke as the said Uchiha unsheathed his long sword. Two kunai flew at Sasuke and his deflected them with his sword straight back at their source. Naruto zipped to his left and Sasuke flew at Naruto with lightning speed. With the Sharingan activated, he could see Naruto's movements before he acted. He saw the blonde's fast hand signals for a substitution jutsu as Sasuke swung his sword at the replacement. As he had expected, his sword sliced through a log. Sasuke kept his blade turning to destroy the clone that had just appeared directly behind him, and succeeded.

The two continued sparring while Jinpachiro sat underneath a tree and watched. At every new trick or jutsu, his eyes would go wide with excitement.

Finally, the two called it a day. Sasuke walked toward Jinpachiro wiping the sweat of his brow.

"Well?" Sasuke asked, reaching the child.

"That was cool! You were cool! When you were like, whoosh! And then, Bam! Then he was like," Jinpachiro turned and jumped two inches as he finished the thought. "You were like-" And Jinpachiro continued as Sasuke walked passed him. Jinpachiro followed, all the while retelling the fight that was full of enthusiasm. They walked back to Sasuke's house and Sasuke started adjusting the house and life to fit Jinpachiro into it.

When night came, Jinpachiro went to bed. His dreams were filled with nightmares of weasels and dead cats. The boy woke up crying twice. Of course the ruckus the small child was making roused Sasuke, but he disregarded it. He was drowsy and tired.

After Jinpachiro's second nightmare, the boy sat up for ten minutes thinking to himself. He drew his knees up, placed his elbows on his small knees, and rested his chin on his wrists. If anyone had looked at the sight of Jinpachiro's thinking, they would have noticed the resemblance between the boy and his uncle.

At last Jinpachiro made a decision. He would put his plan into action in the morning when his uncle was awake.

Morning came soon enough. Sasuke's sleep had been disturbed several times in the night and he was still lethargic when he climbed out of bed at the crack of dawn. He made his way through the morning ritual that everyone goes through and cooked breakfast. When Jinpachiro finally came down, Sasuke had already finished his breakfast.

"G'morning, Uncle Sasuke." The child greeted sitting down at the table. Sasuke greeted him with his usual "Hn" and Jinpachiro started poking at his plate.

"Not hungry?" Sasuke finally asked after Jinpachiro had created, knocked down, then rebuilt up the "Tower of Egg."

Jinpachiro hummed in response and his tower crumbled again. Then he opened his mouth to speak.

"Uncle Sasuke? Um…there's something back home that I gotta go get, so I probably won't be back for a couple of days. So…yeah." Jinpachiro scratched the back of his neck as he broke the news to his uncle.

"What makes you think I will let you go?" Sasuke inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I have to. There's something I gotta go get." Jinpachiro crossed his thin arms over his chest to emphasize that his decision was made. It wasn't about to be changed.

"Well, I suppose that you can-" Sasuke started to speak, then raised a hand to keep his nephew from interrupting Sasuke's words. "-only if I go with you. You nearly died coming to Konoha. You wouldn't make it back to where you came from." Sasuke finished.

Jinpachiro set his elbows on both sides of his plate and rested his chin on his wrists in a "brooding" manner. The boy was clearly thinking about his uncle's proposition.

"On one condition." Jinpachiro finally announced.

Sasuke raised the same eyebrow. "Oh?"

"You let me bring back whatever I want." The conditions were out in the open and Jinpachiro waited for his uncle's response.

"And if I don't meet that condition?" Sasuke choked back a chuckle.

"You can't come."

"Jinpachiro, I think I need to set something straight. You're my responsibility now. You do what I say."

"But!"

"No buts. Who's the stronger ninja?" Sasuke picked up his plate and started washing it.

"You are." Jinpachiro mumbled incoherently in defeat. Sasuke grinned.

"We can still go. I'll have to make a phone call first." With that, Sasuke picked up a dusty phone and punched in a couple of numbers.

The phone rang twice before someone answered.

"Hello?" Came the cheerful voice of the Kyuubi vessel from the other line.

"This is Sasuke-" Sasuke started and Naruto cut him off.

"What do I owe the honor of having you _**call**_ me?" He asked.

"Don't interrupt." Sasuke half-growled before continuing. "I'm leaving Konoha for a couple of days. I'm going to Jinpachiro's old town to pick up some of his things. I'm letting you know so everyone doesn't think I ran away from Konoha again."

"Don't tell me. Tell Granny Tsunade. She'll care before I do."

"**She** won't let me go if she knows." Sasuke spat the words out. "Supposed to be part of my punishment for leaving Konoha in the first place."

"Listen, Sasuke. I have information." Naruto paused slightly dramatically to keep Sasuke in suspense. "For a price."

"No."

"One hundred percent guarantee that it will get you an escorted trip out of Konoha."

"…What's your price?"

"Ramen. Four days."

"Make it three."

"Goodbye."

"Fine."

"Alright, listen. I'm about to tell you exactly what to do step-by-step. It will help, trust me.

"Okay," Naruto started, "Schedule an appointment with her. Bring Jinpachiro. Pull a sap story and have Jinpachiro cry."

"It won't-" Sasuke voice started full of annoyed skepticism.

"Ah-aha, Sasuke. I just so happen to know that the counsel and Granny Tsunade have been taking into consideration of lessening your punishment for your exceptionally good behavior and occasional suck ups to Tsunade. Trust me, Sasuke. Granny Tsunade's on your side. This will give her the perfect excuse to give you that 'chance'." Sasuke could hear the quotations in Naruto's voice at "chance".

Sasuke sighed before talking again. "You'll get that ramen when I get back."

"I'd appreciate a thank you. I mean this stuff is golden! Its better then leaving and getting six months probation and a butt load more of community service!"

"Hn." Sasuke hung up the phone and turned around to nearly trip over Jinpachiro. The boy was shaking with anticipation. His coal black eyes glowed.

"Are we going?" Jinpachiro's voice reflected his excitement.

"We have to make one stop before hand." Sasuke answered him then knelt down to eye level with the four-year-old.

Sasuke took in a breath before speaking. "How bad do you want this thing?"

"Really bad!"

"Enough to do anything for it?"

"Yeah!

"Okay, Jinpachiro. Pout." The boy obeyed. "Now, look down. Next, look up slowly at me through your bangs. Good. Now blink a couple of times. Good. Just like that. Now, let your bottom lip shake and muster up all the tears you can." Jinpachiro quit obeying at this point and stared indecorously.

"I'm going to ask the Hokage's permission for this trip. I'm going to need you to do all that I told you just now in order for us to go. If you can't remember my instructions…look sad. Think…of…that you're not going to get this thing…"Sasuke stopped talking for a little bit.

"What are you going to get?" He asked.

"Uh, I don't want to tell you."

"This isn't going to work, Jinpachiro."

"Okay, I'm going to get…uh, um, uh," The boy started to stutter, obviously thinking of something to say.

""Don't lie to me."

"Uh, okay. I'm going to get…Yuri." Jinpachiro glanced at his uncle's face for a brief second before fixating his gaze on a spot on the carpet.

"Who's Yuri?" Sasuke asked as an irritation started to be born.

"My…cat." Jinpachiro said then looked up at his uncle. "Is it wrong for ninjas to have cats? Yuri's my best friend! He's been the only family to me ever since my mom died!" Tears were swelling up in the frantic child's face.

"Don't cry…" Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh before continuing. "Yeah, ninjas can have cats. But what's wrong with a cat from here?"

"He's not Yuri." Jinpachiro pouted.

Sasuke rubbed his temple then covered his eyes. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" He muttered under his breath.

"Let's go see the Hokage. She has to give the okay for us to go. If she doesn't, then we'll get you a new cat." Jinpachiro gasped as Sasuke walked out the door. 

Only when Sasuke arrived did he realize that he forgot to schedule an appointment. He stood with the chuunin in the front office and argued with him for ten minutes before Tsunade opened the door and demanded to know what was giving her a headache. The chuunin explained the situation and Tsunade let Sasuke into her office.

"What do you want?" She demanded taking a seat in her chair.

"I'm asking to leave." Sasuke answered bluntly. His patience was gone from the previous argument with the chuunin.

"I'm asking are you out of your mind?" Tsunade answered calmly.

"No, and I have good reason." Sasuke answered, wondering to himself if it really was a good reason.

Tsunade's eyes went from Sasuke's face and landed on Jinpachiro's hiding figure.

"…Explain." She said.

"This is my nephew, Jinpachiro. He's Itachi's son and he came here looking for me. I took him in." Sasuke explained. Tsunade's eyes widened slightly at his explanation.

"Why do you need to leave? Cut to the chase."

"He came here and left his personal belongings in his previous home. He wants them and I want to retrieve them for him."

"What kind of personal belongings?"

"…You tell her, Jinpachiro." Sasuke nudged the boy in front of him with his foot.

The boy remained quiet under Tsunade's harsh gaze. Jinpachiro had his gaze stuck firmly on the bottom of her desk. The three waited in silence as the seconds ticked by. Finally, Jinpachiro mustered enough courage and breath to speak.

"My cat." It came out barely above a whisper and cracked twice in the single sentence. Jinpachiro's normally pale white skin was a deep shade of pink.

"Your cat? What's wrong with the cats in Konoha?" Tsunade asked soothingly to the child.

"They're not my friend." Jinpachiro muttered. Once again, his voice cracked.

Tsunade frowned and looked at Sasuke. "I'm sorry, but your punishment clearly states-" Tsunade started to recite it when Jinpachiro interrupted with a new found courage.

"Please, Miss Hokage! He could die! Nobody's feeding him! If he dies, he'll be unhappy, so I'll be unhappy! Then that will make him even sadder and his cat spirit will never be happy! Then, I…" Jinpachiro had started crying and by the end of his stuttering, he was sobbing so hard he couldn't speak.

Tsunade's gaze softened at the weeping boy. She leaned back in her chair and looked back at Sasuke.

"You're lucky, kid."

"I know."

"Take Naruto with you. Now get out of my sight." Then she leaned forward and spoke to Jinpachiro. "Go get your cat. I hope he'll be happy in Konoha with you."

Jinpachiro beamed. "Thank you, Miss Hokage! Thank you a lot! When I get back, I'll bring Yuri to see you! You won't regret it!" He jumped a bit while talking to her then took his uncle's hand.

"That…won't be necessary. Goodbye, Jinpachiro." She said as the two walked out. After they were gone, Shizune entered Tsunade's office.

"What was that about?" She asked eyeing the open door.

"Cute kid." Was all Tsunade replied. 

It didn't take Sasuke long to find Naruto. The blond, orange and black clad ninja was leaning on the side of a wall outside the building waiting for Sasuke.

"What did I say?" Naruto grinned in triumph.

"You're coming." Sasuke responded, briskly walking past Naruto.

"What?" Naruto demanded. He took three long strides and was by Sasuke's side in little movements. "Why?" He complained.

"Hokage's orders."

"So…where are we going?" Naruto asked sticking his hands behind his head as he paced.

"I don't know. Jinpachiro, where **are **we going?" Sasuke asked and he could hear Naruto's groan from his side.

"Uh…Ishikari." The two nodded in response and continued out of Konoha. Upon reaching the gate, the two chuunin on guard looked at Sasuke wearily, but Naruto waved them off. With that, the trio traveled on foot for a small distance. Sasuke, growing impatient from the slow travel, scooped Jinpachiro onto his back and the trip went faster. By noon, the group was in Ishikari.

The town itself was of a pretty good size. It had a long market that stretched in several different directions. The density of people was thick. Sasuke kept his nephew on his back for fear of losing him in the crowd.

"Point us in the direction." Sasuke spoke over his shoulder into Jinpachiro's face.

"Um, find the Good Stuff Bar." Jinpachiro answered. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other.

"I'll get directions. Just a sec." Naruto waved a little while talking and walked in a random direction. He saw a friendly looking young woman standing at a booth, and Naruto approached her.

"Excuse me, I need directions." The young woman turned and looked at Naruto. She had a plain face, but she had a wide smile.

"Where to?" She answered him.

"The, uh, Good Stuff Bar?" Naruto scratched the back of his neck when he asked the question.

To Naruto's surprise, she winked and her smile stretched even further across her face.

"You don't have to find it. **I **can give you the "Good Stuff."

"No, that's okay. I, just need you to point me in the direction, and I'll be gone." Naruto backed up a step. This conversation had taken an awkward turn and he felt like he needed to retreat.

"Fine, hon. But keep me in mind, kay?" She seemed a little disappointed and she pointed in a direction. "Go down that road and when you see the Icha Icha billboard, take a right. Keep heading straight and its on that street."

Naruto nodded and thanked her.

"You know, I come in for work at night…" She started to say, but Naruto turned and made his retreat back to his friend.

"Come on. I got your damn directions." Naruto mumbled and headed in the direction that she had pointed out. Sasuke followed in a confused silence.

It didn't take long for the two to find the building. It was built of bricks and had a large crowd in the front. There was an abundance of rowdy, large men and a couple of woman wearing short, low cut dresses.

"Now where, Jinpachiro?" Sasuke looked at his nephew.

"Put me down. I can walk from here." Sasuke obeyed the four-year-old and Jinpachiro streetwalking down the street. One of the women in the dresses saw Jinpachiro and waved as he walked. He smiled and waved back.

"Jinpachiro…how did you know her?" Sasuke asked the boy.

"Oh, that's Shugar. She used to work with my mom." He answered and turned down a street. Sasuke blanched.

Jinpachiro stopped in front of a worn, old, abandoned house. The windows were boarded up, and the door frame held a door that only had one hinge.

"Okay, he's in here. I'll be right out." With that, Jinpachiro disappeared into the house. Before Sasuke could follow, Jinpachiro came sprinting out.

"He's not here. Yuri's not here." Jinpachiro was shaking. He breathed evenly, then calmed down as a new idea struck him.

"I know where he is! Come on!" Jinpachiro grabbed his uncle's hand and started to run. He went as fast as he could, but Sasuke was still one-third walking, one-third jogging, and one-third being dragged. They turned down several streets before Jinpachiro stopped in front of a house that was significantly more impressive then the last. Before Jinpachiro could run in, Sasuke pulled the boy back.

"Why would your cat be in here?" He asked.

"This is where I lived after my mom died. The lady that lives here is my aunt." Jinpachiro wrinkled his nose when he said aunt. "She didn't like me or Yuri." Sasuke nodded.

"Did she know that you went to Konoha?"

"No! If she knew then she wouldn't have let me go! Obviously." Jinpachiro crossed his thin arms.

"Then it might be wiser to sneak in." Sasuek walked around the house to an open window. "Hm, convenient."

Sasuke lifted Jinpachiro and set him down inside quietly then followed. The room looked like a study. There was a wooden desk that was covered in books. Jinpachiro started to walk out before Sasuke stopped him.

Jinpachiro turned and looked questioningly at his uncle. Sasuke shook his head and lifted Jinpachiro.

"Point the way. We don't want to get caught." His voice was barely audible, but Jinpachiro nodded in response and pointed. Before Sasuke followed, he turned and looked at Naruto at the window. Naruto pointed at a tree and mouthed, "I'll wait right there."

The interior of the house wasn't as impressive as the exterior. Dirt splotched the floors and random objects were piled around in messes. Yellow stains seemed to drip down the walls. Jinpachiro pointed Sasuke down the building into a small room with a small bed. The room appeared as if no life had touched it in months.

"Here." Jinpachiro whispered and Sasuke set him down. The small boy crawled around, searching for his cat. Finally, he fell back on his heels in a squatting position and rocked a little bit.

"I don't know where he'd be." Jinpachiro sniffed. Sasuke knelt down to comfort the child when he heard the sound of heels clacking on tiles swiftly down the hall. In a fast movement, Sasuke lifted Jinpachiro and was out a window that appeared much to small for a normal adult to fit through. When he landed, he sprinted to the tree where Naruto was supposed to be waiting. The blond ninja wasn't there.

Sasuke let out an irritated groan. Jinpachiro was sobbing in his arms.

"He's probably dead! Yuri probably starved to death!" The words came out cracked and in between frequent sobs and wails.

"Hey! I followed you guys in and I find you guys already out here again! Did you give up?" A certain voice came too cheerfully from behind them. The two turned to see Naruto holding a dark brown cat.

"I saw this cat wandering and was going to see if its yours. Is it?" Naruto asked and set the cat in Jinpachiro's waiting arms.

"Yuri!" The boy let out a loud cry. Sasuke lifted the two and jumped onto a near by building. Naruto followed.

"Well, lets get back to Konoha. I hope that the lady in there didn't hear the kid's yell." Naruto said indicating the previous house with his thumb. 

The group made their way back to Konoha. It took more time and it was dark when they had returned. Jinpachiro had managed to stay awake the entire trip, and when they walked through the gates of Konoha, the small boy insisted through heavy eye lids that they take his cat to see the Hokage. Sasuke refused bluntly and took the two home while Naruto reported in.

Sasuke tucked Jinpachiro into bed immediately when he got back to his house. The small boy held his cat tightly in his arms under the sheets. Sasuke expected the cat to try to get away, but it tamely stayed in his owner's tiny grasp. Sasuke watched Jinpachiro sleep for several minutes with a small smile on his lips.

"Good night," Sasuke whispered as he walked out of Jinpachiro's bedroom. Jinpachiro hugged his cat closer with sweet dreams of his new happy family.

Author's Note: Okay, I finished another chapter. Once again, sorry if anybody seemed out of character for you. I did what I said I would. This chapter took place in more areas than just Jinpachiro's room.

Next Chapter: Jinpachiro doesn't know how to read or count! The miniature Uchiha now has to balance learning ninja skills and academic skills from the academy. How will his first day go? Who is there for Jinpachiro?


End file.
